A charge-driven molecular water pump
Source abstract
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the transport of water across nanochannels is of great importance for designing novel molecular devices, machines and sensors and has wide applications, including the desalination of seawater. Nanopumps driven by electric or magnetic fields can transport ions and magnetic quanta, but water is charge-neutral and has no magnetic moment. On the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a design for a molecular water pump. The design uses a combination of charges positioned adjacent to a nanopore and is inspired by the structure of channels in the cellular membrane that conduct water in and out of the cell (aquaporins). The remarkable pumping ability is attributed to the charge dipole-induced ordering of water confined in the nanochannels, where water can be easily driven by external fields in a concerted fashion. These findings may provide possibilities for developing water transport devices that function without osmotic pressure or a hydrostatic pressure gradient.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies · Fuel Cells and Related Materials · Microfluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (30)
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